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Patented Oct. 13, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE to Sullivan Machiner of Massachusetts f y Company, a corporation Application May 17, 1932, Serial No. 611,913 21 Claims. (Cl. 121-124) My invention relates to motors.

It is customary in certain oil fields to pump oil which is not under sufficient pressure to rise without pumping to` thev surface, vby pumping apparatus which includes a central air compressor supplying compressed'air to a number of pumping devices arranged at spaced wells. At each well the pumping device includes a pump cylinder or pump head connected with a Il)v piston type pump in the well. The pump heads are of the single-acting, reciprocating-piston type, with valve mechanism automatically controlled by the movement of the piston; and these valve mechanisms commonly control the supply of air at relatively high pressure from the central plant and the return of the air to the suction. line of the compressor at the central plant. The air is desirably preheated just before being admitted to;I the pumping .motor cylinders, so that its volume is increased. Ordinarily, the pumping motors operate with a substantial back pres--y sure on the piston on the down stroke, to prevent too rapid movements, and the air discharging from the pumping motor cylinder during the down stroke is returned, as pointed out above, to the intake side of the central plant, and there re-compressed. A suitable make-up device to take care of leakage is usually provided.

Systems of this kind are practically automatic in operation, and no operator remains at the pump units during their operation. It is therefore very important to make the pumping devices of a durable and certainly operative type, and, in view of the high pressures and considerable temperature of the air used, to provide valve mechanisms which shall be subject to a minimum of wear and avoid any likelihood of substantial leakage due to cutting of the valves or valve seats.

Among the objects of my invention is the provision of an improved pumping motor, and. more particularly, an improved pumping motor for a mechanism of the character generally just described. Another object of my invention is to provide an improved valve mechanism for a. motor-particularly for a motor especially adap-ted to pumping. A still further object of my invention is to provide an improved valve mechanismfor a single acting expansible chamber motor of any type. Other objects and. ad-

vantages of the invention will. hereinafter more fully appear.

In the accompanying drawings, in which one illustrative embodiment of the'invention has 55, been shown for purpose of illustration,l

Fig. 1 is an elevational view, with parts broken away, of a portion of a pumping mechanism arranged at a well which is to be pumped;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view, on a somewhat enlarged scale, of a portion of the pumping 5y mechanism, the viewrbeing taken approximately at right angles to that of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a View, on a much enlarged scale, of a portion of the valve mechanism and lower end of the pump motor cylinder; 10

Fig. 4 is a vertical section, on the line 4--4 of Fig. 6 through the lower end of the pump motor cylinder and valve mechanism;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view showing a portion of the valve actuating mechanism, and 15 Fig. 6 is a horizontal section on a plane corresponding to the line 6-6 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings, and at first particularly to Fig. 1, it will be observed that upon a suitable platform I a derrick or other suitable frame 2 is mounted. At its top this frame carries a cross member 3 to which is connected, by a suitable pivot device 4, a vertically disposed pump motor cylinder 5. The cylinder 5 is formed of a cylindrical body portion 6, a lower head l, and. an upper head 8, the parts being rigidly secured together by tension rods 9 extending between the heads. A suitable piston I0, reciprocable withinthe cylinder 5, is connected by a piston rod II to a pump rod I2, which extends 30 through a suitable stufling box I3 into a well head, the latter including a pipe I4 through which the pumped oil discharges, a casing head I5, and a. gas pipe I6 for conducting the gas away from the well. 35

A valve mechanism of improved type is illustratively disclosed herein and is shwn in general elevation at 20, 'and is associated with the lower cylinder head. The Valve mechanism comprises an admission valve 2I and an exhaust 40 valve 22 and suitable actuating means therefor which I Will shortly describe.

' Air under pressure from the central compressoz` plant (not shown) is supplied by a connection 26 to a preheater 21 mounted on the der- 45 rick oor, and the air in a highly heated and expanded condition passes through a line 28 to the admission valve mechanism through anelbowl29. The exhaust discharged past the exhaust valve 22 is conducted by a line 30 to 50 the intake side of the central compressor (not shown). As illustrative of working conditions a pressure supply at 300 pounds per square inch, and a back pressure at 100 pounds per square inch, may be assumed.

the member 3|, admission valve mechanism, in-v cluding the valve 2|, is arranged, and this includes a pressure fluid supply chamber 36 tovv which the elbow 29 conducts the operating fluid. The chamber 36 is separated` by a ported wall 31 from a lateral extension 38 of the chamber 32, and a valve seat 39 surrounds the port40i formed in the ported wall 31 Vand provides a seat for the poppet type admission;v valvei2l. This valve is guided in a sleeve 42 and is normally maintained seated by a spring 43 which is housed, in a closure member 44 positioned on the top of the member 3 I, within a guiding bore 45 for a projection 46, herein formed integral with the valve 2|. The valve 2l has a downwardly extending stem 41 guided in the sleeve 42 and received in an actuating rod or plunger 48 which passes through suitable packings 49 and is reciprocable under the opposing actions of the spring 43 and of a cam 5|.

The exhaustmechanism is formed generally similarly to the admission mechanism, except that the chamber 32 is provided with a lateral extension 55 which lies above a ported partition wall 56 which spaces the extension 55 from a discharge chamber 51 communicating with the pipe 30. A port 58 opening through the wall 56 is surrounded by valve seat 59 upon which the. poppet type discharge valve 22 seats.` The valve 22 is guided above by' an extension 6D upon which a spring 6| acts, and has an actuating stem 62 which is moved by a plunger or actuating member 63 extending through suitable packings 64 and moved upwardly by a cam 65. It will be noted that valve 2 when closed, opens against a considerable pressure, and this is also true of valve 22. The proportions of the parts and the pressures of springs 43 and 6| are obvi-` ously selected to insure closure when the stems are released by cams 5| and 65.

The cams 5| and 85 are arranged on shafts 1| and 12 respectively; these shafts being arranged in suitable housings 13, 14 projecting from the bottom of the member 3|. Each of the shafts 1|, 1.2 is provided with an actuating lever mechanism with which suitable dogs moved bythe piston rod coact. V Y

It will be observed that keyed upon the outer end of the shaft 1| at 16 is a member 11 having projections providing a pair of oppositely facing surfaces 18 and 19. These surfaces not only are oppositely facing, but are laterally offset from each other. Another member 11 is arranged at the opposite end of shaft 12.

Referring to Fig. 3, it will be noted that the surface 19 for controlling cam 5| to effect admission valve closure is on an outer projection and the surface 18, which coacts to eiect admission, on an inner projection 8|. Obviously, a dog which will engage the surface 18 need not engage the surface 19, and vice versa. As for the member 11 for controlling the exhaust valve controlling cam 65, the outer arm has the upwardly facing, dog-eng'ageable surface 18 which is engaged to effect valve closure (60mtending, dog-carrying bar 86. The bases 81 of these bars are guided by guides 88 secured to the member 3|, and the outwardly projecting flange89 of each of the T bars is provided with perforations 90 to permit the adjustable securing thereto of valve actuating dogs. Each of these bars is provided with a valve closing dog 9|,

and each also vcarries a dog mounting or cari riage 93 vcarrying means for cooperation with a surface 18 in effecting movement of a valve to open position. These devices 93 will be observed, in the case of the admission valve mechanism, to include a dog 94 normally maintained against the lower one of a pair of laterally extending ears 95 and slidable relative to the member 93 by reason of its mounting upon a sliding rod 96, a spring 91 acting between the upper ear 95 and the dog 94 to maintain dog and rod normally in lower position. It will be noted that the projecting nose of the dog 94 is in vertical alinement with the surface 18, while the projecting portion of the dog 9| is in alinement with the surface 19 in the mechanism associated with cam 5|, and that the dog 9| is engageable with surface 18 and the dog 94 with the other arm of the rocker arm 11 associated with cam 65.

With reference to the exhaust valve, it will be appreciated that since the admission valve requires opening adjacent the extreme lower end of the travel of the piston I8 at a time when the dog 94 is moving downward, whereas the exhaust valve requires opening adjacent the extreme upper end of the movement of the piston and when its corresponding dog would be moving upwardly, the relative position of the mechanism including parts corresponding to those numbered 93 to 91, for the exhaust valve, would be inverted with reference to the position of the same parts associated with the admission valve. This would also be true of the exhaust valve controlling dog 9|, and the member 11' will be modii'led properly to coact with the exhaust valve controlling dogs, i. e. specifically the arm structure is modified so that the outer arm has the upwardly facing dog-engageable surface and the inner arm the downwardly facing dog-engageable surface, as above described.

yThe mode of operation wil be clearly apparent from what has been said. Starting with the piston in the position shown in Fig. 4, and moving downward, it will be evident that the dog 9| (not shown in this figure, but shown in Fig. 5) associated with the exhaust valve operating mechanism is about to engage surface 18 on rocker arm 11 and actuate this exhaust valve controlling rocker arm and cause the exhaust valve to move to closed position by oscillating the cam 6 5 in a counter-clockwise direction in Fig. 4, so that the flat portion of the cam will underlie the plunger 63. The valve 22 will therefore close. About, or shortly after, (as may be desired) the time that the exhaust valve cam begins to move, the dog 94 associated with the admission valve mechanism will first engage the outer edge of the surface 18, but because the admission valve is held to its seat by substantial pressure due to the presence of a much higher pressure in the space 36-than in the chamber 32, the dog will not immediately move the arm which carries surface 18, but instead the spring 91 will yield, and will continue to yield until the lower surface of the lower'ear 95 engages the head at the lower end of the rod 96. When this occurs, the shaft ll'will be rotated clockwise, with reference to Fig. LLand as soon as the valve 2| is unseated the pressure on opposite sides of it will be largely equalized and accordingly the spring 91 will expand and throw the cam 5| sharply around to a position corre-` sponding to that in which the exhaust controlling cam is shown in Fig. 1. In that position, obviously, the plunger 48 will be maintained raised because its reaction will be directly radial of the shaft and there will be no tendency to turn the cam 5| due to the reaction of the plunger 48 on it.

When high pressure air is admitted to the space 32, the piston I0 will begin to move upward, and near the upper end of its travel the dog 9| associated with the admission controlling valve will .engage the surface 19 on the rocker arm and rotate the shaft in a counterclockwise direction, with reference to Fig. 4, and allow the admission valve 2| to seat. At around the same time, or afterwards, as ,may be desired, the apparatus corresponding to the mechanism 93, but associated withvthe exhaust valve, will come into operation, and after a slight further movement the exhaust valvev will be caused to be opened with a sharp action. Clearly, if this mechanism were not provided there would be a possibility that with the opening ofthe exhaust valve there might be such a drop in the pressure within the cylinder that upward motion of the piston might possibly cease before the exhaust valve would be moved to a position in which it would lock open.

From the foregoing description it will be evident that the operations described will be repeated over and over as long as air is supplied to the pumping apparatus, and that both the admission valve and the exhaust valve are opened in a very certain and secure manner so that there is'no possibility of the pump stalling. It will be observed, moreover, that the mechanism is extremely simple, that, the Valves. being of the conical seat type, there is a minimum possibility 0f wear, that as the valves approach their seats any possibility of solid matter lodging upon the seats is diminished because of the sharp blast of air through the narrow space remaining between the seat and valve, and that the entire apparatus is not only durable but very certain in its operation. i

While there is in this application specifically described one form which the invention may assume in practice, it will be understood that this form of the same is shown for purposes of illustration and that the invention may be modified and embodied in various other `forms Without departing from its spirit or the scope of the appended claims. Y

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In combination, a poppet valve opening against the pressure of a fluid whose How it controls, a cam for opening said valve having portions respectively inoperative to unseat said valve, operative to unseat the valve but inoperative to maintain said valve unseated if said cam be free to move, and operative to maintain said valve unseatedv though said cam be free to move, means for moving said cam to effect valve opening including means for storing energy to be delivered to said cam ywhen the valve is unseated, thereby to effect sharp full opening of the valve, and means for movingsaid cam to permit valve closing including means for transmitting to the latter only an unyielding pressure.

2. In combination, a poppet valve opening against the pressure of a fluid whose flow it controls, a cam for opening said valve having portions respectively inoperative to unseat said valve, operative to unseat the valve but inoperative to maintain said valve unseated if said cam be free to move, and operative to maintain said valve unseated thoughsaid cam be free to move, means for .moving said cam to effect valve opening including means for'rst storing energy, to be delivered to said cam when said valve is unseated, and then positively moving said valve if the pressure built up by said energy storing means is inoperative to move said valve, and means for moving said cam to permit valve closing including means for transmitting to the latter only an unyielding pressure.

3. In a pumping motor, a cylinder, a piston, an oscillating admission valve actuating cam at one side of the cylinder, an oscillating exhaust valve actuating cam at the otherv side of said cylinder, and separate dog carrying rods for controlling said valve actuating cams each moved by said piston, the dogs on one rod making their operative contacts at different times from those on the other.

4. In a pumping motor, a cylinder, a piston, an oscillating admission valve actuating cam at one side of the cylinder, an oscillating exhaust valve actuating cam at the other side of said cylinder, and separate dog carrying rods for controlling said valve actuating 'cams each moving in the same direction and at the same speed as said piston, the dogs on one rod making their operative contacts at diierent times from those on the other.

5. In a pumping motor, a cylinder, a piston, an oscillating admission valve actuating cam at one side vof the cylinder, an oscillating exhaust valve actuating cam at the other side of said cylinder, and separate dog carrying rods for controlling said valve actuating cams each moved by said piston and each carrying a yielding dog.

6. In a pumping motor, a cylinder, a piston, an` admission valve at one side of said cylinder, an exhaust valve at the other side of the same end of said cylinder, and separate dog carrying rods for controlling said valves each moved by said piston and each carrying a yielding dog to ellect sharp opening of its associated valve, and also a rigid dogfor closing its associated valve.

Y 7. In a pumping motor, a cylinder, a piston, an admission valve at one side of said cylinder, an exhaust valve at the otherside of said cylinder, and valve actuating means including separate dog carrying rods controlling said valves, each moved by said piston and'each carrying a yielding dog to effect sharp opening of its associated valve, and each carrying a rigid dog, and cams associated with Yeach valve and operative on motion in one direction rst to move and then to lock open the respective valves, and movable to valve-closed position by the pressureexertedy by said valves when moved out of locking position, said yielding dogs cooperating with said cams to effect their rst mentioned movements, and said rigid dogs serving to effect valve closure. Y f

8. In a pumping motor, a cylinder, a piston therein, an admission valve for said cylinder opening against supply pressure, an exhaust valve for said cylinder opening against cylinder pressure, and separate actuating means for each of said valves including control rods wholly external to the pressure spaces of said motor and movable alongside the latter and operative to impart an initial positive opening movement to their respective valves and to complete their movements by yielding pressure.

9. In a valve gear, an element movable to actuate a valve, a mounting therefor including a carriage `with which said element is movable, supporting means for said element on said carriage permitting relative movement between said element and said carriage, means placed under tension when such movement occurs, and means operative positively to transmit further movement of said carriage to said element after a predetermined relative movement between them.

10. In combination, a carriage providing alined guides, a rod slidable in said guides, a dog carried by said rod, a spring pressing said dog and rod in one direction relative to said carriage but yieldable to permit relative movement in the opposite direction, and means for predeterminedly limiting said last mentioned relative movement.

1l. In combination, a valve, an actuating means therefor including a member arranged to actuate said valve, a carriage for carrying and moving said member, a rod guided by said carriage and supporting said member, a spring surrounding said rod and disposed between said member and carriage to maintain said member normally in one position relative to said carriage but yieldable to permit relative movement in the opposite direction, and means carried by said rod in spaced relation to said member and engageable directly by the carriage for predeterminedly limiting said last mentioned relative movement and eiecting positive movement of said member.

12. In a pumping motor, a cylinder, a piston therein, an admission valve for said cylinder opening against supply pressure, an exhaust valve for said cylinder opening against cylinder pressure, and separate actuating means for each of said valves for moving them in both directions including control rods wholly external to the pressure spaces of the motor and each having associated therewith means operative to impart an initial positive opening movement to a valve and tocomplete such valve movement by yielding pressure, and also rigid dog means operative to effect release of that valve, to permit closure thereof, which prior movement of said rod had caused to open.

13. In a pumping motor, a vertical pumping cylinder having a piston reciprocable therein, said cylinder having at its lower end a valve chest having rectilinearly movable admission and exhaust valves, cam actuating means for said valves including cams rotating on axes eX- tending transversely of the cylinder adjacent said valve chest, a member movable with the piston and carrying rods moving parallel to vand alongside the cylinder, and dogs on said rods vfor moving said cams only adjacent the opposite ends ofthe stroke of said motor.

14. vIn Va pumping motor, a vertical pumping cylinder having` a piston reciprocable therein, said cylinder having at its lower end a valve chest having rectilinearly movable admission and exhaust valves, cam actuating means for said valves including cams rotating on axes extending transversely of the cylinder adjacent said valve chest and providing dwells corresponding to full open and to closed valve positions respectively, and also at least one steep connecting portion between said dwells, a member movable with the piston and carrying rods moving parallel to and alongside the cylinder, and dogs on said rods for moving said cams only adjacent the opposite ends of the stroke of said motor.

15. In a pumping motor, a vertical pumping cylinder having a piston reciprocable therein, said cylinder having at its lower end a valve chest having rectilinearly movable admission and exhaust valves, cam actuating means for said valves including cams rotating on axes eX- tending transversely of the. cylinder adjacent said valve chest and providing dwells corresponding to full open and to closed valve positions respectively, a member movable with the piston and carrying rods moving parallel to and alongside the cylinder,` and means on said rods for moving said cams only adjacent the opposite ends of the stroke of said motor to effect valve opening movement at a rate greater than the ratel of rod' movement, and to effect valve closure.

16. In a pumping motor, a vertical pumping cylinder having a piston reciprocable therein, said cylinder having at its lower end a valve chest having rectilinearly movable admission and exhaust valves, and means for effecting sharp opening and closing movements of said valves including cams rotating on axes extending transversely of the cylinder adjacent the valve chest and each having a dwell corresponding to full open position of its associated valve, a dwell corresponding to closed position of its associated valve, and a steep connecting portion to cause sharp valve closure, a member movable with the piston and carrying elongated cam-actuating-element supporting means eX- tending parallel to and alongside the cylinder, and means on said supporting means for moving said cams only adjacent the opposite ends of the piston stroke to effect valve opening movement at a rate greater than the rate of piston movement, and also valve closure.

17. In a pumping motor, a vertical pumping cylinder having a piston reciprocable therein, said cylinder having at its lower end a valve chest having rectilinearly movable admission and exhaust valves, and means for effecting sharp opening and closing movements of said valves including cams rotating on axes extending transversely of the cylinder adjacent the valve chest and each having a dwell corresponding to full open position of its associated valve, a dwell corresponding to closed position of its associated valve, and a steep connecting portion to cause sharp valve closure, a member movable with the piston and carrying elongated cam-actuating-element supporting means extending parallel to and alongside the cylinder, and means on said supporting means for moving said cams only adjacent the opposite ends of the piston stroke lincluding relatively vrigid dog means to opening.

18. In combination, a valve opening against the pressure of a fluid Whose flow it controls, and means for controlling the movements of said valve including mechanism operative, upon the exertion of force thereon, to open said valve and, when said valve is in full open position operative per se to maintain the latter open, said mechanism when moved from said last mentioned position being inoperative per se to preclude closing movement of said valve, means for actuating said mechanism to eiect valve opening including means for storing energy to be delivered tov said mechanism when the valve is initially unseated whereby to effect sharp full opening of the valve, and means for moving said mechanism to permit valve closure including means for transmitting to said mechanism, to move the same out of valve holding position, an unyielding pressure.

19. In combination, a valve opening against the'pressure of a fluid Whose iiow it controls, and means for controlling the movements of said valve including mechanism operative, upon the exertion of force thereon, to open said valve and, when said valve is in full open position operative per se to maintain the latter open, said mechanism when moved from said last ,mentioned position being inoperative per se to preclude closing movement of said valve, means for actuating said mechanism to effect valve opening including means for storing energy to be delivered to said mechanism when the valve is initially unseated, and then positively moving said mechanism if the pressure built up by said energy storing means is inoperative to move said valve, and means for moving said mechanism to permit valve closure including means for transmitting to said mechanism, to move the same out of valve holding position, an unyielding pressure.

20. In combination, a valve opening against the pressure of a fluid Whose flow it controls, and mechanism controlling movements of said valve including means movable in one direction to open said valve and after a predetermined movement in said direction to maintain said valve open and operative on opposite movement to release said valve for closing movement and 4to be moved thereafter by the closing movement of said valve to its initial position, and means for moving said first-mentioned means to effect valve opening thereby including means for storing energy to be delivered when the valve is initially unseated, thereby to effect sharp, full opening of the valve, and means for moving said first-mentioned means to permit valve closure including means for transmitting to the latter only an unyielding pressure.

21. In combination, a poppet valve opening against the pressure of a fluid Whose flow it controls, and means for controlling opening and 'closing of said valve including a cam for opening said valve having portions constructed and arranged respectively to leave said valve seated, to unseat the valve and to hold the same unseated so long, but only so long, as said cam is held with said portion in valve-opening position, and to maintain said valve open after the valveopening cam-moving force is Withdrawn, means for moving said cam to effect valve-opening including means for storing energy until said valve is initially unseated and thereafter delivering energy to said valve to effect sharp full opening thereof, and means for moving said cam to permit valve-closing.

WADE H. WINEMAN. 

